Efforts are being made to protect one of Ghana’s foremost eco-tourism destinations, the Mole National Park from encroachment by people living around the area. The park is a key tourism revenue earner in the northern part of the country which boosts of wild animals.
To ensure its sustainability, about 600 residents in the Wa East Municipal are receiving training in various alternative livelihood skills to empower and improve their lives.
The project dubbed “Living with Wildlife: Improving Livelihoods in the Mole Ecological Landscape” is funded by the Illegal Wildlife Trade Fund and supported by the UKAID.
The project which is expected to run for three years will train residents living within the Mole National Park enclave in alternative livelihood skills such as bee-keeping, rearing of rabbits, and grasscutter in addition to business development skills.
Project Coordinator and Senior lecturer at the CK Tedam University Dr. Asaah Mohammed says the project is also aimed at protecting and conserving the wildlife at the Mole National Park which is under threat by residents.
The Park, he says is a national treasure for tourism and revenue mobilization hence cannot be left at the mercy of residents who illegally hunt in the park to sustain their livelihoods.
Dr. Asaah explained that, “for the purpose of them getting alternative livelihoods so they will stop destroying the biodiversity and conservation effort of Mole National Park. As we all know the Mole National Park is a national asset that brings a lot of revenue through tourism. The purpose of this project is to enhance the capacity of these communities through alternative livelihoods.”
“One of the livelihoods we are enhancing now is the Bee, Rabbit and Grasscutter Keeping. These are alternative incomes that these people are benefitting from. We are also giving them agro-forestry. We are also giving them savings and loans capacities so they can save their income,” he added.
Mole National Park, situated in the northwest of Ghana, is the country’s largest and most renowned protected area, spanning 4,849 square kilometers. The park is a biodiversity hotspot, housing a rich variety of wildlife, including 94 species of mammals, over 300 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, and 33 species of reptiles. Mole is particularly famous for its elephant population, which numbers around 600, along with numerous primates, large mammals, and predators that are frequently sighted.
